Movies give a false sense of reality

To take the idea of this TED Talk one step further...

I postulate that viewing too much of any type of film can give a false sense of reality...hopes/dreams/infatuations of a new reality. There are those that strongly believe that violent video games/movies don't affect our thinking; how could they NOT affect our thinking?

There are reasons--very good reasons--why every civilized country in the world use movie/TV/game rating systems to assist us in exposing ourselves (and our children) to age-appropriate content. Allowing young children, for instance, to watch graphic violence, strong language, or explicit sexual content is HIGHLY likely to either traumatize them or teach them that it's normal behavior to imitate. It may begin, innocently enough, as something that plays out in their minds, but there is quite a bit of research out there that suggests that our thoughts eventually become our reality.

Feb 14 2013:
And what about books, perception and fantasy? And what about 'reality' in the news? How does a real war, murder or rape affect my thinking the moment I get to hear and know about it? Isn't this way more 'dramatic' than any first person shooter video game? What about the F-word I get to hear in 'real' life? Does it really help to 'beep' it out on TV? Isn't it actually just 'forcing' me to 'fill this gap' by myself? Who grows up that isolated to be actually saved by this?

How do we 'prepare' our children against child abuse? How do we make them understand how 'reality' can look like, as we all know, that it is not always 'the stranger' who is the potential 'threat'.

Isn't 'age-appropriate' just an illusion as well as 'civilized countries'?

Of course our 'thoughts become our reality', yet video games and movies are just a fraction of what actually forms our thoughts, so what about the rest, called 'real life'?

Feb 14 2013:
I like that you mentioned books. For me, though, as absorbing as a book can be, I always know it is not real. When I see a movie, I willingly suspend my disbelief and buy into it completely, at least partly because I trust my eyes more than my imagination.

Having said all that, I think reading the book equivalent of a very violent video game--for the same amount of time--can be damaging, especially to a young person.

Feb 13 2013:
Movies do affect our perception and decisions. They do have an influence, even though some are conscious of this and are able to keep themselves in check while some others are ignorant and allow themselves to be influenced like the addict.

Stories are our ways of understanding the world, of teaching moral lessons, and of exploring the experiences of other people.
But we should be wise in seperating fact from fiction, dreams and fantasies from reality.

In my much younger days I studied Shorin-ryu (an Okinawa Karate), and although I did act-out violence I learned to be none violent. Yes I learn how to hurt people but I also learn how easy others could hurt me, including that 60yr old lady I saw at a tournament that could have flatten me in a second.
My point being is that how they affect us is unique to every one of us.

Movies fall under entertainment ... people should be able to discern movies from reality. People who read or watch Frankenstein and dig up bodies and try to bring them to life have real issues. People who watch Superman and leap off of tall buildings in a attempt to fly pose little long term danger.

Feb 14 2013:
Media consumption without critical thought or proper expressive outlet is always going to be an issue. In the case of violence for example, yes if you only consume violent or sexist media there is the marginal likelihood of a problem arising, especially if you live in an environment that actually supports those beliefs. If your creativity and ability to challenge various social conventions is being stifled, again, a problem is going to arise. The false senses of reality , properly owned (interpreted) and critically consumed, can actually lead to good in the world. The thing with film, books, and games is the fact that they're all art and art responds to reality - not causes. Yes, it can be a factor in creating future violence, but only if people aren't thinking about what they're consuming and if reality doesn't get the picture that's being painted through arts.